Comfrey while useful as a slug trap
has many other qualities you may find of value. It is a very hardy

perennial. It will grow in moist areas and has the
ability to clean and extract nutrients from stagnant or foul water. It sends down long tap
roots that can go as deep as 10 feet enabling it to accumulate minerals in its'
leaves. These minerals include potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus along
with vitamins A, C, and B-12. The leaves contain tons of protein as previously mentioned.
When comfrey leaves are composted and returned to enrich the soil all these elements are
made available to your plants.

Medicinal qualities:
Comfrey has many healing properties to it. Briefly the roots and leaves contain allantoin.
Allantoin is a protein with hormonal like qualities to it that stimulate cell
proliferation. It is the allantoin that gives comfrey its' reputation for healing wounds,
broken bones, burns, sprains, sore joints, dry skin and for reducing the swelling
associated with fractures. Fresh, clean comfrey leaves can be used in a poultice to treat
these injuries. Comfrey salves are readily available from health food stores. It is not
recommended to take comfrey internally as liver damage has been known to occur from
extended ingestion.
Topical use is safe as the alkaloids will not penetrate the skin.

Comfrey fertilizer: With
its' high levels of potash comfrey tea can be used as an excellent fertilizer for tomato,
pepper, cucumber and potato plants. The smell while it is "cooking" is strong.
Pick a good sized handful of leaves. Place them in a container with enough water to cover
the leaves. Cover and let this cook for 4 weeks in cool weather or 2 weeks in hot weather.
Then squeeze the leaves to extract as much juice as possible Strain and use at a rate of
1/3 cup 0f comfrey juice to one gallon of water Use as a foliar feed and soil drench
around the plants. Put the solid wastes into the compost pile.

Dried or fresh comfrey leaves have
the following percentages of NPK:

Nitrogen:
0.75%

Phosphorous:
0.25%

Potash:
0.2%

Culture:

Light: Full sun with some types
accepting partial shade.

Soil: Preferably nitrogen rich
with a fairly neutral pH.

Planting: Set plants 2 feet apart
in an area where you can spare the space for them. Once you have planted comfrey it is
there to stay.

Feeding: For plants that are
harvested often do keep them well fed.

Disease: Comfrey Rust
(Melampsorella symphyti) is the biggest problem with comfrey. If you see rust starting
immediately remove any infested leaves and destroy. Give the plants a good dose of
potassium like some wood ashes. Follow with a good organic fertilizer. Allow ample space
for air movement among the plants.

There are some different varieties of comfrey
available:Common comfrey (Symphytum
officinale)
The most widely used comfrey with clusters of bell-shaped flowers in white, purple, mauve
or rose. This is the most invasive variety of comfrey.

Russian comfrey (S.x uplandicum)
Russian comfreys have the highest levels of protein and allantoin.Bocking No. 4: Grown generally as a fodder for poultry.Bocking No. 14: This type has the most allantoin and is said to be the
least invasive. We have been told that Bocking No. 14 will pretty much stay where you put
it. This would make it the best choice for the home gardener. It does show a good
resistance to rust which is often a problem with comfreys and it can tolerate a low level
of the disease without harming the plants growth.

Ornamental comfreys
Creeping comfrey (S. grandiflorum): A low maintenance groundcover with light yellow
flowers and crinkly leaves. Will tolerate shade and chokes out the weeds. May be a good
choice for the north side of a wall or house.Goldsmith comfrey (S. grandiflorum "Goldsmith"): Another less invasive
type with light yellow flowers and variegated leaves. Grows to 12 inches in height.
Red comfrey (S. officinale "Rubrum"): Red flowers, wow! Will also grow in
shade and has a compact growth habit.